'Gasland' Director Arrested; Josh Fox Tried to Film House Hearing on Fracking

Documentary film maker Josh Fox, famous for his film Gasland, was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a subcommittee hearing of the U.S. House Science Committee Wednesday as an Environmental Protection Agency administrator testified about a controversial draft study.

Fox was apparently trying to film the hearing, which violated the subcommittee's rules that only accredited journalists were able to record it. Fox is working on a sequel to Gasland, his Oscar-nominated expose of hyrdaulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale deposits.

Fox was ousted on the directive of Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. He was charged by Capitol Police with unlawful entry into the hearing room.

He was not the only one turned away from the hearing. Harris also barred a crew from ABC News.

Republican subcommittee members rejected a motion by the minority Democrats to allow filming.

The hearing was scheduled to review the EPA's approach assembling its controversial draft study that links hydraulic fracturing to groundwater contamination in Wyoming.

EPA released 622 documents on its Web site which noted laboratory findings, lab operating procedures and raw data.

Harris said he was pleased the EPA had published the documents but criticized perceived resistant in the disclosure of the agency's data and methodology, Bloomberg reported.

While I am pleased that the EPA posted 622 documents last night, it is unfortunate that this transparency appears to only have been compelled by the calling of a congressional oversight hearing, Harris said.